DEMAND FIVE

Weighing in at 392 tons, the Antonov An-124 can carry tanks, trains and even other aircraft to the farthest corners of the globe. The pinnacle of modern aeronautical engineering, this gigantic cargo plane owes its existence to nearly 100 years of innovation.

During World War I, Russian aviator Igor Sikorsky realised that a craft capable of carrying bombs would sell well to the fledgling Russian air force. However, the best engines of the day could produce barely enough thrust to lift a pilot, let alone tons of explosives. Sikorsky’s solution was to mount four engines onto the wings of a craft, as opposed to one in the centre. On 10 March 1915, Sikorsky’s five-ton Miromets flew into enemy territory and dropped 45 bombs onto a German railway station.

To go beyond the capabilities of the Miromets, it was necessary to revolutionise wing design. To provide the rigidity necessary for take-off, early biplanes had two sets of wings supported by struts and cables – which in turn created drag.

On the back of these incremental developments, the Antonov An-124 was developed in 1982. It is 67 metres long and 20 metres high. Thanks to its rigid fuselage and four turbofan jet engines, it has a payload of 150 tons – 25 per cent more than the Galaxy – and can travel some 15,000km without refuelling.

Discover the truth behind the largest plane in the world, with Big, Bigger, Biggest.

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